Mrs. Garrity's Blog

Each 7th and 8th Grade student must read an equivalent of 5 books per trimester. To receive credit for these books, students are required to take the corresponding Accelerated Reading tests. Longer books with 250+ pages count as two books. If a book is not on the Accelerated Reading list, Mrs. Funk will provide a form for students to complete. This form must be signed by a parent and also Mrs. Funk. All students must pass at least 3 Accelerated Reading tests each trimester. The deadlines for the 2nd Trimester are:

Friday December 19 (first 3 books)
Friday February 13 (2 more books)

Holiday Classics

GRADE 7 UNIT OF STUDY: The 7th Grade students are currently reading some delightful holiday classics.

SHORT STORIES: We began the unit with "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry. In this story, a young woman sacrifices her most precious possession to buy her husband the perfect Christmas present--with surprising results. The next story that we read was "A Christmas Memory" by Truman Capote. In this award-winning autobiographical story, Capote shares vivid memories of his childhood experiences of growing up in a small rural town in Alabama.

NOVEL: We are now reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. He wrote this novel to pay some pressing debts. Although it failed to make him much money, this story has delighted generations of readers ever since. It has since become one of the best-loved tales of Christmas.

The Diary of Anne Frank

GRADE 8 UNIT OF STUDY: The 8th Grade students are currently reading the classic play version of The Diary of Anne Frank, written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett.

ABOUT THE DIARY: Anne received her diary on her thirteenth birthday in June 1942. In July 1942 the Frank family was forced into hiding. Into her diary, Anne recorded the hopes, fears, joys, and frustrations of living for twenty-five months in cramped quarters under constant tension. That diary, on which the play was based, remains a living tribute to the dignity, courage, and perseverance of the human spirit.

ANOTHER TRUE STORY: After students finish reading The Diary of Anne Frank, they will read "The Bracelet" by Yoshiko Uchida. This short story is based on the true experience of a Japanese-American family that was sent to an internment camp in the United States during World War II.

The most exciting addition to my curriculum is my Smart Classroom. This consists of a Think Pad (laptop computer) and ceiling mounted projector. I have been busy working on Power Point slide shows that will enhance the presentation of my reading materials. Come to open house on Sunday, September 21 to see this innovative method of teaching.

Welcome to Junior High Reading. Students in 7th Grade are now beginning a two-year-in-depth study of classic literature that includes short stories, legends, essays, novels, plays, poetry, song lyrics, and other literary works. Each selection has been carefully chosen to illustrate important elements in understanding and appreciating the development of plot, point of view, character development, vocabulary, sound devices, and a variety of literary techniques.

When I first began teaching at St. John Fisher in 1991, I found that the material provided in the textbooks didn’t delve deeply enough into the subject area to suit the needs of my students. As a result, I decided to create my own supplementary materials designed to stimulate and challenge the minds of my Junior High students. I developed sessions and units of study that contain in-depth background information on a work, analysis of plot development, discussion of the author’s literary elements, a complete vocabulary study, numerous activities and discussion ideas, study questions and review sheets, and assessment materials. This material has been assembled together in what I call “study packets.” Students will receive a new study packet whenever they begin a new unit of study.